Mobile Phones – Boon or Bane?

In the digital world that we are living in today, technology has become an essential part of our lives. Everyone is dependent on technology for their day-to-day activities. Technology is too big a domain to cover at one go, so let us restrict ourselves to the one device that has been accepted by almost every single individual as a must have part of their life- the ‘mobile’ phone.

What was once considered a luxury has now become a basic necessity. Look at anybody’s hands today and chances are bleak that you won’t find a mobile phone in it. Ranging from an un-employed part-time poor laborer to a filthy rich superstar, everybody uses a mobile. The vast number of options available today in terms of companies, price range, features, etc. everybody can now buy a mobile according to his/her requirements and level of affordability. The idea of ‘connecting people’ on the go was a brilliant one, no doubt. But the scenario is not the same today. The level of dependence on a mobile phone today is unreal – take somebody’s mobile away for a day and see for yourself. The question that arises now is that is this acceptable? Is it okay to be so dependent on the mobile phone? Is it okay to expose our young children and siblings to the world of mobile phones at a tender and early age? Is it completely safe? Well let us have a look at both the sides of the coin before we can answer these questions.
Yes, the mobile phone has solved many problems for us. It has saved our time on just uncountable occasions and has brought people who live far, far away closer together. It has helped us keep a check of our surroundings and be aware of what’s happening, to whom and how. By providing us solutions on the go, it gels perfectly with our fast moving lives today. It has provided us a user-friendly solution to most of our problems on the go, offering us the power of the World Wide Web and Social Media at our fingertips. But all of this at what cost? Just some time back there was news all over about certain mobile batteries blasting away, causing injuries to the people around it. Not too late after that there was news regarding some mobile phones that blasted due to excessive charging while the phone was being used. There have been numerous reports now and then about the harmful effects on the human body of the radiations emitted by the mobile phone. Apart from all the health and safety related issues, there are other issues too that need attention. Giving mobile phones and other gadgets to children at an early age has been identified as one of the root causes for children being obese, inavtive, easily bored and less inclined to participate in outdoor sports. Children are seen to be more concerned about their personal gadgets than the actual world around them. Exposing them to such gadgets exposes them to a whole lot, which isn’t necessarily a good thing.

To conclude things up, I would say that a mobile phone can prove to be boon as well as a bane, depending upon its usage. Use it in the right limited manner, it sure will make your life easier, but use it wrongly and make yourself vulnerable to a whole lot more. In the end one should remember it’s an electronic device and should be treated so. Follow some simple precautions and minimize its harmful effects because let’s face it we can’t survive without a mobile, but we sure can be cautious in its use. Don’t hug it to sleep at night. Keep it switched off at a safe distance and enjoy a peaceful sleep, while avoiding the harmful radiations as much as you can. Take care to not keep your mobile phones in your heart pocket as it can prove harmful for the heart. Use the Bluetooth function in a limited manner and avoid keeping it anywhere near your lower body; you wouldn’t want to risk being infertile. Prefer using headphones/earphones for long duration calls. Make sure you don’t overcharge your mobile and avoid using it when it is plugged in on charging. Never use your phone when it is heated up, best thing to do would be to switch it off for a while and then use it after it cools down. Keep a check on the battery, never use a battery that looks fluffed up; best way to check that would be take out your battery and spin it on a plain horizontal surface. If it spins smoothly, then you need to replace your battery as soon as possible. As far as the children thing is concerned, avoid exposing your young ones to gadgets at such an early age. Let them explore the world outside and even if you want to make them tech-savvy prefer something like digital sudokus, digital memory games, e-book readers, which will expose them to technology but in a limited manner. Mobile forms a significant part of our lifestyle today and it is time we modify our lifestyle to incorporate the use of mobile phones in a safer and better manner.